Eight local businesses and organizations have new, fully stocked bookcases for children and families, thanks to a partnership between the Ossining Basics campaign, the Ossining School District, and the Rotary Club.
The Rotary Club donated ten bookshelves to help further the mission of Ossining Basics, a community movement that seeks to teach parents and others simple practices to stimulate brain growth in children from birth to age three. Pre-kindergarteners at Park School helped assemble the bookcases (with adult supervision). Various community members, (914) Cares and Molly Ness, founder of End Book Deserts, donated the books.
“It’s really a team effort and with everybody helping out, it makes the job easier and more successful,” district Community Schools Leader Megan Mastrogiacomo said.
The goal is to have lending libraries throughout the community, said Park School pre-kindergarten teacher Natalie Ortiz, an Ossining Basics facilitator. Every lending library has Ossining Basics information sheets and bookmarks with reading tips on them.
Rotary Club President Marcia MacNeill-Perillo said the organization maintains a strong relationship with the school district. “We love to assist in any possible way that we can, and that’s why, when Ossining Basics came to us, I thought this was a brilliant idea,” she said of the bookcases.
The eight locations are:
n Z & H Laundromat, 96 Croton Avenue
n Deli Bagel, 238 South Highland Avenue
n Neighbors Link, 23-25 Spring Street
n Open Door Family Medical Center, 165 Main Street
n HealthSmart Pharmacy, 203 Main Street
n Brothers Laundromat, 182 Spring Street
n Good Choice Kitchen, 147 Main Street
n Briar Wash n’ Fold, 197 South Highland Avenue
For more information about Ossining Basics, visit sites.google.com/ossiningufsd.org/ossining-basics
